The most powerful moments in medicine often unfold after the diagnosis, in the quiet where plans are made and hope is rebuilt. Join us as we sit down with Dr. Kristen Cain, a physician who is double board certified in OBGYN and reproductive endocrinology and infertility. She traces a winding path from a mismatched residency to a specialty that blends precise science with unmatched patient care. We walk through how Dr. Cain leads two clinics while keeping patient education clear and com...

What if the most important part of your hospital stay happens after you leave? We sit down with a seasoned hospitalist who treats complex conditions on the floor and still argues that health is mostly made at home, at work, and in the community. From refeeding syndrome and new-onset renal failure to the familiar rhythms of CHF and COPD, she shows how the real challenge isn’t just diagnosing accurately, it’s designing a plan that survives insurance hurdles, pharmacy costs, transportation gaps,...

A surgeon stands at a national podium, defends operating on children with severe obesity, and gets asked how he sleeps at night. Two decades later, he’s helped shape national guidelines and is building new ways for families to access care. That is what defines our candid conversation with Dr. Evan Nadler, a pioneer in pediatric bariatric surgery and a person who refuses to accept shame as a treatment plan. We unpack how a field many didn’t know existed emerged from careful trials, relentless...

What does it take to run toward chaos and know you will like the result? We sit down with Dr. Josh McConkey, an emergency physician, Air Force Reserve commander, and combat veteran, for a candid tour of the ER and the deeper forces that sustain a life in medicine. From managing codes to navigating the “bread and butter” of primary care concerns that flood emergency departments, Dr. McConkey explains how humility, teamwork, and a calm mind matter most. We dig into his “Weight Behind the Spear...

What if losing your “secure” job became the moment you claimed real freedom? That’s the turning point we explore with PA Fedna Morensi as she traces a winding path from athletic training and dance dreams to orthopedic surgery and a locum lifestyle that funds her time, not her burnout. We dig into the human side of medicine—identity, resilience, and service—while getting specific about the business decisions schools rarely teach. Fedna breaks down the mechanics of travel PA work: licensing an...

What if the most powerful tool in your clinical toolkit isn’t a monitor or a protocol, but a feeling you’ve learned to trust? We sit down with ER nurse Jenn Johnson to follow her unexpected path from failing organic chemistry to thriving in emergency care. She began in a tiny rural hospital where one RN ran the show, then in a major stroke center with full support and faster medicine. Along the way, Jenn exposes the hidden curriculum of healthcare: how culture shapes confidence, why bullying ...

What drives someone to leave a successful career as a Physician Assistant and return to medical school? For Dr. Joanne Amos, it was discovering her true calling in one of medicine's most demanding specialties: the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Dr. Amos takes us behind the scenes of her level three NICU, where she cares for babies as young as 22 weeks gestation. Her vivid descriptions bring to life both the technical challenges (placing catheters "the width of a spaghetti noodle" in babies wh...

Dr. Kushagra Verma's journey reminds us that finding your calling often happens through unexpected rotations and powerful mentorships rather than childhood dreams. What makes his approach to spine surgery truly distinctive is the blend of technical excellence with deep humanity. Dr. Verma describes his complex surgical work as an intricate three-dimensional puzzle that draws on his engineering background. Yet beyond the operating room, he's built a practice that prioritizes patient education...

What happens when a medical provider becomes the patient? Kelly Tuttle's journey shows us how personal experience can transform professional practice and create unique connections with patients. Kelly spent two decades as a cardiology nurse practitioner before a car accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI) completely altered her career trajectory. Rather than stepping away from medicine, she channeled her recovery experience into becoming a neurology specialist. The transition wa...

When Rachelle Hodel set her sights on working with babies, nothing would stand in her way, not even the absence of a job posting. Armed with determination and a freshly written cover letter, she walked straight into the nursery manager's office and launched a 15-year career in labor and delivery. That same decisive spirit guided her next evolution when family needs called for a more flexible schedule. While raising three daughters and working part-time, Rachelle completed her nurse practitio...

Kristin takes us deep into the world of pediatric autoimmune disease, where conditions like juvenile idiopathic arthritis, lupus, and dermatomyositis affect multiple body systems and require tremendous coordination across specialties. With striking clarity, she describes the challenges of working with patients who've often spent years searching for answers before receiving life-altering diagnoses. Our conversation reveals the remarkable complexity behind treating these conditions: from revie...

When a hospice nurse with thirty years of experience speaks about what matters most at the end of life, it's a story worth listening to. Jenny Lytle's journey into nursing began with an unlikely inspiration, a childhood fascination with thermometers during her own hospital stays, but has evolved into a profound calling that's taught her what true care really means. "It's such a privilege to be with people in their hardest times, in their most vulnerable comments," Jenny shares, describing he...

Pete Breitinger's journey to respected PA educator spans more than three decades and reveals the profound human connections at the heart of healthcare. What begins as a candid reflection on his unexpected path into medicine transforms into a masterclass on resilience, advocacy, and equity in patient care. When Pete shares stories from his years in pediatric cardiology, his voice brightens with genuine affection for the families he's followed, some from infancy through adulthood. "These kids ...

The medical world often focuses on protocols and procedures, but what happens when a patient's quality of life conflicts with the "safest" option? Catherine Moore, a licensed clinical social worker and creator of the top-performing Social Workers, Rise! podcast, who's worked in settings from hospice to ICUs, joins us to explore this crucial intersection of healthcare and humanity. Catherine reveals how social workers serve as the essential bridge between medical teams and patients, esp...

What happens when a physician notices something seemingly small but deeply meaningful missing from patient care? Dr. Nekaiya Jacobs Pratt, a pediatric critical care physician, transformed hospital culture by addressing a gap that affected her patients with textured hair. During the isolating days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kay found herself questioning her place in medicine. The emotional weight of caring for critically ill children had always been balanced by the joy of seeing them recov...

What happens when a physician practices medicine across three different continents? Dr. Gregory Adaka's remarkable journey from Nigeria to the UK to the United States reveals surprising truths about global healthcare that every medical professional should consider. Born in Manchester and raised in Nigeria, Dr. Adaka's path to emergency medicine began with an unexpected source of inspiration: the American TV show "ER." His story weaves through vastly different healthcare systems, highlighting ...

What happens when medicine loses its humanity? Dr. Kipp's powerful new book "Heartbeats and Handshakes" offers a rare and intimate look at what it truly means to be a physician - from the terrifying first code blue as a medical student to the wisdom gained through 30 years of clinical practice. Dr. Kipp takes us behind closed doors to reveal the profound challenge doctors face: maintaining genuine compassion while rapidly moving between patients in crisis. His journey from conventional medici...

What began as a pre-med journey toward orthopedic surgery took an unexpected turn when Sally Hoang, CAA discovered the immediate impact and work-life balance offered by a career in anesthesia care. With remarkable candor, Sally Hoang walks us through her typical 16-hour shift—from arriving at 6:30 AM to set up medications and equipment, to meeting patients in pre-op, to the collaborative dance of putting patients to sleep alongside attending anesthesiologists. Her descriptions paint a vivid p...

Dr. Michael Broukhim shatters psychiatric norms with remarkable results, proudly owning his identity as the "anti-psychiatrist psychiatrist." Our conversation reveals why this integrative practitioner achieves what many consider impossible: helping patients recover completely from conditions typically labeled as chronic. The heart of Dr. Broukhim's revolutionary approach lies in his expansive understanding of faith not as religious doctrine, but as "a belief that there is value in connecting...

Imagine walking into a hospital room, stethoscope in hand, only to have patients immediately assume you're the doctor simply because you're a man. For Brock Kemp, this scenario plays out regularly as a male nurse navigating a predominantly female profession. But these misconceptions are just the beginning of his fascinating journey through healthcare. From mowing lawns and fixing storage unit doors to managing life-and-death situations in the emergency department, Brock's path into nursing d...